Family Ties
by Islanda
Summary: Explores the life of the Baker family after Tom's sudden death, and some really start to wonder if they really are still a family. Sarah hasn't been around for 3 years, and Mike is acting really strange...when they reunite, how will they handle it?
1. On The Road

This is just some random idea that popped into my head tonight. It will probably range from 3-5 chapters, maybe more, depending on the feedback.

Here we go! Hope you enjoy!

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The thing about growing up with so many siblings is that you tend to be with them so much that you start to get too close in a small space. You grow up together close, and tend to be closer to some siblings then others. Then as you grow up, and move out of the house, you slowly drift apart.

As sad as it sounds, that's exactly the pattern my life followed. The saddest part though, is the thing that would bring us all back together.

Being ready for 3am, I set off from my home, which was in a small town right outside of Boston. Me and my brother Mike were flying into Chicago for the next few days to be with the family, and I was picking him up along the way.

To be honest, I was kind of nervous for the whole thing, since I had barely seen any of them in about 3 years, when I had lost touch with them.

I screeched on the breaks as I almost crashed into the white sedan in front of me. Traffic….perfect. Just what I needed.

After what seemed like forever, I finally got into the Harvard campus. Mike was to meet me at the front, wherever that was. I just stopped at where I thought was the right spot.

Yep. My baby brother was a freshman at Harvard. Who knew that the kid who was hanging off our roof 10 years ago would end up with a good education? This week was his first week there, and the fact that he had left home less then a week before dad died of a sudden heart attack probably made him feel terrible.

'What am I even doing here?' I thought to myself. Heck, I had no idea what my brother looked like now. The last time I saw him he was just a 15 year old kid, a little over 5 feet tall. Who knows what he looked like now?

I sighed. I had to go through with this. I was to meet up with another 11 Bakers in Chicago, and how was I going to face mom?

As I drove through the front of the campus, I looked out the window at the faces I was seeing walk by. I had no idea what Mike looked like. He had contacted me about dad's death through the phone, asking me to pick him up on the way to the airport to fly out of Boston, saying he would only be carrying a big black suitcase. Really helpful bro. I bet half the people here own a black suitcase. I just told him to look out for my car, a red Chevrolet cobalt.

I spotted a Latino guy walking by my car. He smiled at me, and I forced a small smile back as I drove by.

Okay Sarah. Focus. Find Mike! It can't be too hard to find him, right? I grew up with him, didn't I?

Suddenly a woman wearing a professional looking uniform walked up to my car. She wore a burgundy shirt with black pants. The front desk lady maybe?

She cleared her throat before she spoke.

"Sarah Baker?" she asked, using a snarky tone. I ignored her, and replied.

"Yeah?"

The woman put on a smug smile.

"I am here to escort you to Michael Baker, who I hear you are taking off campus this weekend," the woman explained.

_Michael _Baker? Sure, Michael was his birth name, but he hadn't gone by Michael in ages. I guess this place was really uptight and high class.

I got out of my car and followed the woman into a building, where I assumed Mike would be waiting for me. We walked inside, and I looked around for my brother. The woman seemed to know my brother, since she walked me over there specifically.

I gulped when the woman brought me over to my brother, who was sitting on the couch with some girl, obviously not noticing my appearance. He then leaned into kiss her, but he was interrupted by my tour guide.

"Mr. Baker!" she shouted. He immediately whispered something to the girl, who then rushed off.

I took a look at my brother. He was….handsome. He was all dressed in a nice, black suit, ready for the funeral. Smart thinking…I brought some clothes along to change into, but when I was going to change into them, I did not know.

He still had the same face. He still had his shaggy sandy brown hair, and his puppy dog eyes. He was slightly taller, maybe 5'8, but he was still rather short.

"Thank you for escorting my sister," Mike told the woman, dismissing her, barely any expression in his voice.

I turned to my brother. What was I to say to him? I hadn't talked to him in years!

Mike turned to me, sighing.

"Well, let's get out of here," he grumbled. I walked forward, and he followed me to the car. I popped the trunk so he could put his luggage in there. He then hopped in the car and put his seatbelt on.

It pained me to be in the car with him. Despite our 4 year age difference, we were really close as children. Me, Jake and Mike were always doing stuff together. Playing outside, skateboarding, video games….you name it. They were my closest siblings. Not anymore I suppose.

I sat there, trying not to cry. Whatever bonds we had when we were little were now gone. They had somehow disappeared out of existence. It pained me to see us like this. I just wanted to hug him and apologize, but I knew that it wouldn't fix things.

I felt a tear roll down my left cheek. I quickly wiped it away, hoping Mike would not notice. Luckily, he was too occupied tapping his fingers on the inside door handle.

More tears welled up in my eyes. I sighed quietly.

'Come on,' I told myself. 'Sarah Baker doesn't cry.'

The rest of the car ride was silent. I drove; he sat there, not saying a word.

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As the plane landed in Chicago, I looked around for Mike. Once we got to the airport in Boston, we had separated, and we sat separated on the plane because we didn't prebook our seats since it was a last minute flight.

Since I was near the front of the plane, I stepped off quickly, waiting for Mike to pass by me so we could catch a cab to get to the house, where we were all meeting. Since I had no idea how to get there, Mike was to kind of be my tour guide I suppose.

Mike was one of the last people to step off the plane. He saw me immediately, and walked towards me, avoiding eye contact.

I sighed deeply. I missed my brother. This wasn't the Mike I knew. I remember Mike as my little brother, who I used to have so much in common with. Now we were left with nothing. Once again, I just wanted to reach out and hug him, but I couldn't. I was too scared for his reaction. Plus, I hadn't even spoken a word to him yet today.

Yeah. I was probably one of the top nominees for the sister of the year award. That's definitely me. Mike stopped when he reached me.

"Okay, so we'll just get our luggage, then catch a cab to get to moms," he explained.

I nodded in agreement, biting my lip nervously.

"But wouldn't that cost a lot?" I asked. "The house in pretty far from the airport."

Ahhh….the house. It was the mansion we lived in, and I learned to like it over time. I eventually made friends in Evanston along with everyone else.

"We moved Sarah," Mike told me.

I gulped. So much for trying to start a conversation with him. Maybe I'd try again later.

"But of course, _you_ would never know that because _you_ never visit," Mike said accusingly.

I didn't bother replying to that. I felt dejected as we went into the airport. We continued on not saying a word to each other as we grabbed our luggage, and went to grab a cab.

As we hopped in the back seat of the cab, I decided to try and start conversation again.

"So….uh….how did you guys track me down?" I asked my brother.

Mike sighed.

"Being a student at Harvard gives you powers you would never think of having," he explained.

"I see," I replied, wondering what his 'powers' were, and why he had suddenly turned into a scholarly type. He didn't care much for his grades back in the day. He mostly just slacked off.

After another 5 minutes of silence in the car, we pulled up to the new house. I was still pretty bug, but it was a newer house in the middle of a new housing development.

As we hopped out of the cab, a car pulled into the driveway. The driver stepped out, and I realised it was another person I was nervous to see.

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Little cliffhanger! You'll have to wait for the next chapter!

I'd love you so much if you reviewed! Haha!

Cheers!

~Lauren


	2. He Would Want You To Do It

First, I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing last chapter It means a lot.

And second, this might be my last update for a while since I jet off to Florida on March 12th, and I will update my other story after I update this. Just warning you. I'm not abandoning the story, don't worry.

Well, I have no more notes. Enjoy the chapter!

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As I pulled into the driveway, I saw a car pulling in behind me. It was a red car that I did not recognize. I then saw my brother Mike sitting in the front seat, and the driver, beside him, was someone I never dreamed of seeing here.

It was Sarah. My long lost sister Sarah.

The last time any of us had heard from Sarah was a little over 3 years ago. It was Mark's grade 12 graduation party, and we had thrown a huge party for him.

It was kind of surprising that she did it since it wasn't her type of this to do, but all of us were shocked.

Most of us had known that Sarah had drinking problems around then. She still lived at home at age 20, not in University or anything, and pretty much just partied. And drank. Like crazy.

Anyways, at Mark's grad party, she had hit the worst point of her life. She showed up there, drunk, and drank more when she got there. Sarah ended up puking all over Mark and his girlfriend at the time, Daphne. Mark and Daphne went to clean up, and forgave her, realizing it was an accident. But that wasn't the end of it. Mike was to give Mark the laptop mom and dad had bought him as a gift, but Sarah convinced him to let her do it.

But it all went wrong. When she got to the stage, she puked all over the laptop. Then worse, she laughed it off, dropping the laptop into a million pieces. Mark was crushed that he wasn't getting his Macbook, but Sarah was too drunk to notice or care.

Dad yelled at her and sent her home early. She managed to get there, since she was fast asleep when we all got home. We decided not to wake her and discuss it in the morning, but when we all woke up, she was gone. We tried phoning her cell phone, but no answer. We waited for months, but nothing. She was gone, out of our lives. We gave up.

Now here she was, stepping out of her car. I guess she was sober enough to drive. She looked up at me, and I could see fear in her eyes. I smiled at her as she shut the door behind her. She froze on the spot, looking at me attentively.

"Jake." She breathed quietly.

Her voice sounded the same. Well, the same it sounded before she became sick. The way it had sounded when she was still Sarah.

I was about to reply when Mike passed me, trying to get inside quickly. I reached out to grab him, but he was too fast. He shrugged my hand away and walked into the house.

I sighed and stood there on the spot, wondering what to do. I remember the days when me and Sarah were really tight. Practically inseparable. But as we grew older, our ties faded away. Especially when she started to drink.

Sure, at 17, I drank a bit, maybe a beer or two at a party once in a while, but nothing like Sarah. She did it consistently.

Then I did the unthinkable. I walked over to Sarah, and pulled her into a hug.

At first Sarah seemed uncomfortable in the hug, but eventually, she hugged me back, resting her head on my shoulder. We then broke apart. She stared at me again, trying to read me.

"Jake, why are you being so…nice?" she asked, her voice cracking.

I shrugged.

"There's no point in holding a grudge against you Sarah," I explained. "At least not right now," I added.

"Wait…so…do you forgive me?" she asked, uncertain. I could see tears forming in her eyes.

I paused a second, then spoke.

"Sarah, you're my sister," I started. "Of course I forgive you," I told her, forcing a smile.

Sarah then smiled for the first time, and ran over to me, hugging me again. She hadn't given me this big of a hug since we were 5 or 6. Now being 22 and 23, it was really weird having her this close to me. Especially since we hadn't spoken in forever. Or at least it seemed like it.

I felt Sarah's tears soak into my shirt. I hugged her tightly, making her cry even more. Good thing I had brought a change of clothes.

After another minute or so, Sarah pulled away, wiping tears off her face. She then looked at me, making eye contact.

"Thanks Jake," she croaked, her voice cracking again.

"So you heard about dad?" I asked, already feeling depressed talking about him. Sure, he was an asshole at times, but he was my dad. And I loved him. Despite all his…deformities.

Sarah nodded, her head bowed.

"Mike called me," she explained. "He told me to pick him up at Harvard since mom bought us plane tickets."

"It still beats me how he got a hold of you," I commented.

Sarah sighed.

"Apparently being a student at Harvard gives you special powers," she explained. I could tell from the tone of her voice that something was wrong.

"Mike told you that?" I asked.

Sarah nodded, her head down.

"What's eating you?" I asked.

"Nothing," she mumbled.

I sighed, knowing something was wrong. Sarah wasn't one to talk about what was bugging her. She's very stubborn that way. I knew I'd have to find out somehow though.

"I know there's something wrong Sarah!" I told her. "And you're going to tell me what it is!"

Sarah continued looking down, not saying anything. She finally spoke.

"It's Mike," she whispered.

Dang. I knew where she was headed with this.

"What about him?" I asked.

Sarah shrugged, biting her lip.

"It's just….he seems distant," she explained.

I sighed. This would take a lot of explaining.

"Look….let's just get through the day," I whispered, trying to sound calm.

Sarah crossed her arms. She could definitely sense that something was wrong, and she was right. The family had kind of fallen apart over the past couple of years. But that would have to wait for a while. Now, we had to inside and see the family, and as hard as it was for Sarah to get in there, she was going in.

"Come on," I told her. "Let's get inside."

"Do I have to go in?" she asked.

I smiled.

"Come on Sarah!" I shouted. "They're your family! We are all happy that you're here!" I added.

"Well _you _seem to be," she grumbled.

I sighed.

"Look Sarah, if this is about Mike….then we'll deal with it later," I explained.

"Jake, I'm not ready to go in there!" she protested. "You seem to be alright with me being here, but what about the others?" she retorted.

Well, Mike I knew for sure. The others I wasn't so sure about. But I knew one person for sure who I knew would love to see Sarah.

"You know who would love to see you Sarah?" I asked.

"Who?"

"Dad."

Tears welled up in Sarah's eyes at the mention of dad. The last time she saw him was the time he yelled at her to go home at Mark's party. He was the last to see her before she disappeared, and he blamed himself for her disappearance because he yelled at her.

"Dad would want you to go in there," I told her.

Sarah sniffled and bit her lip, trembling.

"He would," she breathed.

"Will you do it for dad?" I asked.

Sarah nodded, wiping the tears away from her face.

"Let's get this over with," she said fiercely, letting me lead the way inside.

I hope this all turned out well.

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And sorry I didn't update this sooner! I had a busy weekend! I'll try my very best to give you guys an update ASAP!

Thanks for reading!

~Lauren


	3. Anywhere Is Better Then Here

Sorry about the long update guys, I've been a little busy. I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and that a few of your questions are answered. The next update will come much sooner, I promise!

Oh yeah. And sorry if the line breaks don't show up. I have been having some problems with them lately when I updated my TDI fic earlier. So my apologies ahead of time.

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Walking into the house was…nerve-wracking. No other way to describe it. I had no idea what to expect from my family. Would they be forgiving, like Jake, or cold like Mike? I still wondered what was eating at him, but hopefully someone would fill me in later. After we get through the day, like Jake had said.

I turned around and saw Jake behind me. I reached out for the doorknob, my hand shaking heavily. Jake pulled me back.

"Sarah, don't worry," he told me.

I could feel tears building up in my eyes.

"Has everyone changed…like Mike?" I asked, the haunting sights of my transformed brother coming back to me.

Jake shrugged.

"I won't lie to you Sarah," he started. "Some people are a little upset still, I mean, I am too! But no one will be as bad as Mike, I promise!"

I gulped. How had I let this happen? Even Jake was still upset. Worst sister award definitely goes to Sarah Baker, no question.

"Sarah, just go inside. I'll stick by you the whole time, I promise!" Jake told me.

I forced a smile. My little brother, still taking care of me. I sighed, and turned the doorknob.

The house I walked into didn't look like a place where kids ran around. But of course, everyone was pretty much grown up now. There were no more kids. In 3 years, a ton had changed. Everyone had grown up. I have no one to blame but myself. I wasn't there to witness it. There were no people in sight, but I took off my shoes, and followed Jake into the house.

We walked into the kitchen, and found Mike and mom in there. Once Mike saw me, he got up immediately, and ran upstairs. I gulped, once again, wondering what was wrong with him.

Mom looked pretty much the same. Still slim, she had gained a few wrinkles, but still looked young enough for her age. She walked towards me, arms open.

"Sarah," she murmured, wrapping her arms around me. I sobbed into her sweater vest for I don't know how long, but for a while. We finally broke apart.

"Mom, I'm sorry," I whispered. Mom smiled softly, and gave me another hug.

I hadn't noticed Jake disappear, but I found him behind me, with Kim and Jessica beside him. I didn't know what to say to them, so I decided to wait for one of them to speak. Finally, Kim spoke.

"Is she better?" she asked out loud, not to anyone in particular.

I gulped, not knowing what to respond. I then turned around towards the door, and ran, not even looking behind me to see people's reactions. After the funeral, it would definitely be best to go back into hiding until the next funeral. Without question.

I slipped my shoes on, and thankfully, no one was chasing after me. I didn't even want Jake now. There was no one I could take comfort in. No one understood. To be apart from my family for this long was too much to handle. I would go to the funeral for dad's sake, but dad's sake only.

I grabbed the door handle, and pushed it open. No sooner was I met with a clang, and a groan at the other end of the door. Whoever I had hit seemed to have backed up, so I pushed the door open again, hoping to get out this time.

I opened the door again, but it was met with the same person I assumed. I quickly slipped out the door to see who it was. I was then met with Henry, who was swearing under his breath as blood trickled down his hands, which were covering his face. He then looked up, probably to scold and get mad at whoever had made him bleed. He looked at me intently, then spoke.

"Well if it isn't my long lost sister Sarah!" he greeted, seeming to forget that I had just nailed him in the head with the door not only once, but twice.

"I'm sorry about hitting you with the door," I apologized.

Henry shrugged it off. "It was an accident. Don't worry about it," he said while rubbing the blood off his face. "You seem to be in a hurry to get out of there," he said.

"Yeah, I am," I replied. At least he was treating me better then some of the others.

"So how have you been?" Henry asked. I interpreted it as Kim's question earlier, but I would respond anyways. I hadn't talked to these people in 3 years. They had a right to be mad, and to ask me anything they wanted pretty much.

"I'm pretty good," I replied honestly. I had been pretty good. Staying out of trouble, no more drinking. I was doing good in my books, considering what I went through.

"So you are-"

"Henry, I'll talk to you later," I interrupted. "I've have to get out of here."

"Why are you leaving?" he asked.

"I can't stay here…I can't do this," I answered, opening my car door, more tears welling up in my eyes. "I'll see you at the funeral," I told him, shutting the door.

I was about to drive away, but Henry stopped me, and opened the door, pulling me.

"I can't let you do this again," he whispered, shaking his head.

"D…do what?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what he was referring to.

Henry pulled me out of the car, and held me close to him. I could hear his slow breathing, and could smell his aftershave from my angle. I felt his gaze drift down to my eyes.

"When you ran off, people took it hard," he explained. "Some harder then others." He added. Then, his tone suddenly changed to pleading. "Sarah, please stay. We all miss you." A few tears trickled down his cheek.

"I'm not sure if _everyone_ misses me!" I protested.

Henry sighed.

"Some people may not show it, but we all have missed you Sarah!"

"I already heard the whole speech from Jake, about going into the house to see people. I'm not going in there again." I told him. Henry sighed, but it silenced him. "Look, I'm just not ready for this," I continued.

"Sarah, wait-"

"No!" I interrupted him again. I put my hand on my car door handle. I almost opened the door, but turned around to face Henry one last time.

"I'm sorry…but I can't." I told him. Henry froze on the spot, obviously giving up. I put my seatbelt on, and drove away, already crying. I'm not sure where I was heading before the funeral, but anywhere was better then in there.

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This chapter is kind of short, but I hope you all enjoyed it. Again, I'm sorry if the lines don't show up.

Thanks for reading!

~Lauren


	4. No Longer A Happy Family

Ooohhhh….quick update, huh guys? Anyways, I'll try to keep updating a few times a week. I mentioned this in an author's note in my TDI story, but sometimes I do go crazy updating things…like around the end of February, and now. I'll try to keep it up as long as possible. I'm really happy with the positive feedback form this story, so that really helps too!

Everyone who reviewed, thank you so much! It means a lot to me!

And here we go! Chapter 4…back to Jake's point of view. Shall we get on with it? I think we should! Personally, I think this chapter is a lot more exciting then the last. It also has some mature content…just warning you. Depending on your age though, you may not find it offensive.

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"Is she better?" I heard Kim ask.

The look on Sarah's face was…horrifying! Her mouth went wide open in an O, and her eyes started welling up with tears. This day was probably the most I had seen Sarah cry in her entire life! It wasn't pleasant to see her like this!

Before we knew it, Sarah was bolting for the door, running as fast as she possibly could, down the hallway, around the staircase. The next thing I knew, she was attempting to push the door open, and she was gone. I had no idea if Sarah was going to come to the funeral still. In recent years, she had always been a little strange. Actually, her disappearance caused the whole family to become a little nuts. It's scary how much we didn't appreciate our tightness before.

I didn't chase after Sarah this time. I knew Sarah. Kind of. At least I knew her well enough to know that she would want to be alone right now. Who knows where she was off to…but I wasn't sure when or where I would see her again.

Kim stood frozen in shock, obviously she hadn't realized yet that her words would have stung her sister so much. Kim was always the type of person who didn't really think too much before she spoke.

Moments later, Kim dashed upstairs, probably to her room. She too would probably want to be alone now.

"Should I go after her mommy?" Jessica asked. After all these years, Jess still called mom "mommy". She was the only one, but hey, they got along pretty well, compared to mom's relationships with some of her other children.

My mom slowly shook her head, more tears rolling down her cheeks. She had lost her husband, and the relationships between her kids were a total mess. I felt bad for her…but I couldn't find it in me to say anything.

"Kim probably wants to be alone now." Mom whispered to Jess.

Jess nodded solemnly, and took off upstairs anyways, probably to her own room. Mom then turned to me.

"Jake, you should go get changed," she told me. "The funeral starts in an hour or so."

I looked down at my torn jeans and t-shirt. My work clothes for the construction site. Not exactly funeral material.

"Okay mom," I replied as I started to head upstairs towards Mike's room, where all my clothes were. I had already moved out when mom and dad bought the new house, so I didn't have my own room. And to tell you the truth, I should have chosen Nigel or Kyle's room. Dreaming of the day where Mike and I would get along again was a real fantasy. I should stop wasting my time with dreams, and just face reality already.

I sighed as I walked upstairs. I walked past Kim and Jessica's rooms quietly. I could hear Kim sobbing in her room, and silence coming form Jess's. I gulped as I walked up to Mike's room. I stepped forward and knocked on the door.

I heard footsteps approaching the other side of the door, and then a sigh.

"If that's mom, Charlie, Kim, Jess, Mark, Kyle-"

"Mike, its Jake." I pushed his door open. He was still my little brother for a reason. I could beat him in strength any day.

"Well, what do you want?" Mike asked rudely.

I sighed and pointed to my suitcase, which was sitting on the other side of the room.

"My stuff is kinda in here. I need to change. You expect me to go to dad's funeral in this?" I asked, pointing at my current clothes.

Mike rolled his eyes, and walked out of the room. I was about to go grab some clothes for myself, but I decided that I could do that later.

"Mike, get back here," I shouted, since he was already halfway down the stairs.

Mike turned around, but didn't move.

"What do you want now? You're already in _my _room!" he retorted.

"I want to talk to you," I said, ignoring his rude comments.

"I don't have time now. I'm leaving."

"What do you mean, leaving?" I asked. Was he leaving the house? Going back to Boston already?

"No, I'm going to the funeral," he growled. "You think I'm gonna miss dad's funeral and go back to Harvard already?" he asked, then he paused. "Actually I wouldn't mind that. Then I wouldn't have to go back with Sarah," he added.

With that, he was gone. I didn't try stopping him again. He was doing his own thing now. He wasn't my younger brother anymore. He was just some grumpy university student, who didn't seem to care that his dad has just passed away. Or seem to care about anything actually.

I wiped a stray tear off my cheek. Man, I missed dad already. He would know what to do with Mike. He was always good with that stuff. Dad may have been a bit of a weird bird at times, but he knew his family for sure.

Speaking of dad, I had a funeral to get to. I needed to change. I went into Mike's room, and pulled out my suit from my suitcase. I put them on Mike's messy bed, which had clumps of stuff lying underneath it.

It looked like Mike hadn't cleaned his room in years. He probably hasn't even touched it in the past few months. I knocked a pile of clothes off his bed. I didn't know if they were dirty or clean, but man! Something really smelt in here!

As Mike's stuff fell off the bed, I picked up a small box out of one of his jean pockets. I opened it up, finding a bunch of cigarettes inside. I growled, throwing them at the mirror. Mike was just full of surprises, wasn't he? At least I knew what the smell in here was now. Smoke. I wonder if anyone else knew he was smoking in here.

I was just starting to get undressed, pulling my shirt off, when there was a knock at the door. I sighed, dropping my shirt on the floor, rushing over to open it. I found Jessica standing in front of me, staring at my bare chest. I crossed my arms.

"Jake, is Mike around?" she asked quietly.

I shook my head. "He took off a few minutes ago," I explained. "You didn't hear us yelling in the hall?" I asked.

Jess shrugged.

"Between Kim's crying, and you and Mike yelling…I had no idea what was going on," she replied.

"I…is Kim okay?" I asked.

Jess shrugged again, as I heard Kim crying still.

"All I know is that she's really upset…she didn't mean what she said…."

"Yeah, I know," I answered. I then looked at the time. It was about 12:30. The funeral started at 1:00. I had better get changed.

"Are you wearing that Jess?" I asked, pointing at her stylish yoga pants, and white tank top.

Jess shook her head sadly, thinking of dad.

"Listen, I'm going to finish getting changed now, and how about you do the same? Then I can drive you?" I proposed.

I saw tears drip down Jess's cheeks.

"Jake, I miss him!" she cried.

I walked over, and pulled her into a hug. Within moments, I felt her sobbing into my bare skin. Soon, I felt myself crying a bit too. I wiped my tears away, and sniffled.

"Jess, don't worry, I miss him too. We all do."

Jessica backed away, now wiping her tears away.

"_Everyone _misses him?" she sniffled. I could sense immediately that she was referring to Mike and Sarah.

"Jess, you know he loved dad too. Sarah did too. Some people have different ways of showing it."

"Like how dad and Charlie always fought, then made up immediately?" she sobbed. "And how a long time ago, Sarah and Lorraine fought like crazy?"

I nodded slowly.

"Just like that," I agreed.

I looked to see that my sister was still crying. She fell into my arms again, crying even harder then before. I felt myself starting to cry again as I rubbed her back in comfort.

"Thanks Jake," she sobbed, looking up as she let go of me, and slowly walked into her room.

"Just tell me when you're ready," I told her.

Jessica nodded, stepping into her room, closing her door, as she got changed.

I walked back towards Mike's room, and now found that my clothes had been exposed too long to the stench of Mike's room and had gained a smell themselves. I growled, throwing the box of cigarettes behind the dresser, it and its contents disappearing.

What had happened to the family? I remember when Jess turned to Kim or Henry for comfort, not me. I remember the days where Kim had gotten along well with Sarah. I remember the times before Sarah started drinking. I remember when Sarah and Lorraine fought. I remember dad.

I remember the old Mike, and missed him. I hated the monster my little brother had become.

I remember Mike when he didn't smoke.

And I remember myself never being the person who my sisters turned to for help.

I groaned in frustration as I put my suit on, throwing my suitcase out the door, so it didn't smell anymore then it had to. It made a huge clunk on the floor, but I didn't care.

It was back to every man for himself, like it was when we moved, and had went up to Lake Winnetka for the last time. I didn't like it much, but it didn't matter.

The Bakers were now a family controlled and broken apart by Mike and Sarah. The two siblings I was closest to growing up had now destroyed the family.

We were no longer a happy family. There was one reason we were all together today, and that was for dad. Who knows when and if we will ever all see each other again.

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed the longish chapter! I'll try to update soon, I'm still deciding on whose point of view to do next chapter.

Thanks for reading guys! Leave any comments you want on the story! Just…don't flame. They hurt.

Haha! Well. Whatever. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!

~Lauren


	5. I Am Better

Mkay. I wanted to update yesterday, but I was having some internet/computer programs. The cord that connected the laptop (which is where I type up all my stories!) to the wall wouldn't stay in the laptop without a LOT of pressure, so we got a new laptop, which is where this chapter was typed up! So you are reading the first ever document uploaded from my new laptop. You should feel special. :P

So strawberry-sunset194 asked me a very good question. She wanted to know how old the Baker kids were in Family Ties. Since it is a good question that I thought many of you might like knowing, I will tell you guys also!

Nigel and Kyle are 16, Mike is 18, Kim and Jessica are 20, Mark is 21, Jake is 22, Sarah is 23, Henry is 24, Lorraine is 28, Charlie is 30, and Nora is 33. If you were wondering about Kate and Tom, Kate is 55, and Tom _was _59, before he died.

So enough of me going on. I must bore you will all my notes. xD

We're back to Sarah's point of view by the way!

* * *

As I drove my rental car down the street, more tears rolled down my cheeks. Today alone I had done enough crying to last awhile. But unfortunately, I knew I would be doing a bunch more at dad's funeral soon.

I sighed. Maybe coming up here for the funeral was a bad idea….I had excluded myself from my family for long enough! What did it matter if I showed up or not? But I knew that I had to come for dad. I still love him so much, even though he's gone. I wish I could have at least said goodbye to him. He meant so much to me, and our last interaction with each other wasn't a happy one.

More tears rolled down my face as I thought of the night I left. It was Mark's grad party, and I was drunk. Very drunk. I said things I didn't mean. I did many things I didn't mean. It wasn't me there. Not the real me. Back then, I was an alcoholic. I don't even remember how I got so addicted to alcohol…but those years were rough. I had no job. I did nothing but use my money I had saved up over the years on my alcohol. And then I would drink. A lot.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that it was me who did it to myself. I couldn't blame my family. They tried to help me. Take my alcohol away from me. But that was hen the alcohol came back to affect me. And everyone else. I became moody. I swore. I would get violent if I didn't get my way. I had isolated myself in a lonely, sick world. It's why I knew I had to fix it.

I left my family, along with everything and everyone I knew. I needed help, and I needed to do it alone. I moved I close to Boston with what little money I had left, and started going to rehab. It was my only option. I didn't want to waste any more of my life with alcohol.

Looking back now, I realize that my addiction to alcohol had indeed ruined my life. I lost all contact with my longtime high school friends. It was my fault that our family is now a clustered mess. I broke apart all the bonds and relationships in my family. I had also wasted 5 years of my life drinking, or getting cured from my addiction to alcohol. Those were 5 years I could have spent in university, getting an education, or even getting a job, to make myself some money!

But those 5 years of my youth were 5 years I cannot get back. 5 wasted years. All my money wasted on alcohol. The alcohol was by far not worth my happiness, but the drug had taken control of my life back then. There was nothing I could do to change it. There was no going back.

Right then, I lost it. I had to pull over off the main road. I felt the build-up coming. It was 5 full years worth of tears, now pouring out. And dad's funeral hadn't even started. I could only imagine how fast the waterworks would pour out there. Everything was all coming to realisation at once. Dad was never coming back, and neither was my old life.

Something had to change. I couldn't go on like this anymore. I couldn't.

* * *

After minutes of crying, I finally recomposed myself. I looked at the time, realizing that the funeral as set to begin in about half an hour. Noticing that I had pulled over just a few hundred meters away from the funeral home, I quickly put my seatbelt back on and drove into the parking lot, and parked.

I was about to get out of the car when I felt myself start to cry all over again, remembering that I would have to face my siblings again soon. I was….scared. The way Mike and Kim were treating me made me wonder how the others would. So far, only Henry and Jake were nice to me.

But that's when Kim's words came back to me.

"_Is she better?"_

I could hear my little sister's voice ringing over and over again in my head. I thought about what she said, and then I forced a smile.

I looked down at myself. I was back in shape. All the extra weight I had gained over the past couple years was gone. And I no longer cut myself due to depression. I no longer drank, and I was no longer an alcoholic.

Even though I was still recovering emotionally, I had recovered physically. And it showed.

It was at that moment that I knew the answer to Kim's question.

I _am_ better.

Kim's once hurtful words tuned into words of wisdom that forced me to step out of my rental car, and into the funeral home, and ready to face the world.

* * *

Well, it was a shorter chapter, but I had to do some build-up before the funeral. The funeral will be coming up soon, in a few chapters, so keep watch for that!

On a further note, I said originally that this story was only going to be 3-5 chapters…but it will be longer then that. The response to this fic really impressed me, so it will be longer then planned.

Thank you everyone for all your reviews! They mean a lot to me! :D

~Lauren


	6. The Truth Comes Out

Haha, yeah….longer update. I've been finishing up last minute school projects and exams, so yeah. It's summer though, so I'll definitely have more time to update. For now at least.

So thanks to strawberry-sunset194 and haley96 for reviewing! Your kind words mean a lot! :D

And for the point of view, I decided to try something completely different since I was getting writer's block…so yeah! It will also change halfway through to Sarah. You'll see who the first person is once you start reading. ;)

* * *

I remember growing up as a kid with a bunch of dreams. I had one sister. She died of cancer when she was 6, so I grew up as an only child for most of my life unfortunately. I dreamt of growing up, meeting someone, then getting married. I accomplished that. I dreamed of having 8 children. I did that too. I had a dozen kids, and I love them all equally. I also dreamed of moving down south with Tom once all the kids had moved out, and then everyone could visit us in the winter with their children. But of course, that was never going to happen, because Tom was gone, and he wasn't coming back.

A lot of people might say that I should just go get married again. But I can't do that. Tom and I have been through too much together. We had a dozen kids together, and never once did we leave each other. Sure, there were difficult times when we wanted to kill each other, or the kids, but we always made it through. The kids would never accept anyone else as their father. It's a known fact. I cannot remarry. I can't think of being with anyone but Tom.

I thought of our whole life together as I entered the funeral home. This here was the last time I would ever see him before he was buried. I still couldn't believe that he had died so suddenly of a heart attack. I imagined us living together healthy until we were in our eighties. I guess my hopes were a little too high, but still. I didn't think that we would be separated so early on in life.

The first couple rows of seats were reserved for our family. Close friends too. I found that all the kids were already sitting down, minus Nigel and Kyle, who followed closely behind me. They were the only ones who had gotten a ride with me. The others all managed to get here on their own.

I motioned all the kids over towards me. They all got up, and a few were reluctantly dragged over. I sighed. Our family was a mess.

"Guys, there's one last thing you can all do for dad," I told them as they shuffled around.

"What's that?" Kim asked. Everyone else stayed quiet, waiting for me to respond.

"I want you all to go up there and say something about dad."

The kids exchanged glances, looking at each other intently.

"Now?" Nigel asked.

I shook my head.

"No, I want you to go up there when the funeral starts. There will be someone telling you when," I explained. "I want you all to go up, oldest to youngest."

Mike sighed.

"Mom, do we _have _to?" he asked.

A few of the kids turned to look at him, startled that he would say that. I felt a lump in my throat, too hurt to speak. Tom would want them all to go up there and say something. I know he would.

"Mike, do it for dad!" Nora told him.

"Why?" Mike retorted. "It's not like he did anything superior for me!"

My eyes stung at Mike's hurtful words. I saw some of the kids crying already. Kim and Jessica's hands were held together as tears rolled down their cheeks. Mark had a blank look on his face, like he couldn't believe what was happening. Even Charlie and Henry shed some tears.

Sarah then walked up to Mike. I saw that her face too was red and full of tears.

"Dad did a bunch of stuff for you!" she yelled. She then turned to face everyone else. "He did a bunch of stuff for all of us," she said more quietly. She then spun around to face Mike, and looked him right in the eyes, giving him a long cold stare.

"You meant more to dad then you think!" she spat. "Learn to appreciate what he's done for you, and everyone else!" she growled. She turned around, preparing to walk away, but she faced Mike one more time.

"Grow up Michael!" she shouted. Sarah shook her head, tears streaming down her face. She turned and stomped away, breaking into a run as she got further away from us.

The whole family exchanged glances with each other, shocked that Sarah had been the one to speak out. And she had used his birth name. I guess Sarah knew that Tom and I only used it when we got angry with him.

Everyone started clearing out, and going to sit back down in their seats. Only Mike and I remained now. Mike showed no emotion at all of what had just happened. I turned to look at him. I met his gaze, but he quickly looked away. He bit his lip, and then walked away from me, towards the door.

* * *

As I ran away from my family, I felt more tears pouring down my cheeks. I couldn't believe what I had just done. I had yelled at Mike. I still didn't know what was wrong with my little brother, but something wasn't right. If he didn't care about me, or any of our siblings, I thought he must've cared about dad. I hoped that he would care that dad died. But no. I tried yelling at him. He still didn't get the message apparently. I didn't know what else to do.

I ran into the bathroom, and looked at myself in the mirror. My face was red, and stained with tears. The little bits of mascara and eyeliner that I had applied before leaving home were rubbed and scattered all around my eyes. I looked like a raccoon.

My hair was dishevelled. I had done a little up do earlier, and it was now ruined. Little strands of hair fell out of the bun, so I just undid the whole thing. My long brown hair fell loose all over my back. I sighed. I always liked my long hair. It was something I always kept, no matter what my state of mind was. And I kept its color too. I thought about dyeing it black a few times because it was dark and dreary, but I didn't. I was proud of that. I didn't need to be pushed further into depression when I was already recovering from being an alcoholic.

Just then, the bathroom door opened. I backed into a corner, hoping to hide from whoever it was. I wanted to be alone right now. And for all I knew, it could be a complete stranger. I might not know this person at all.

Moments later, the door closed, and I saw a familiar face turn their head around and spot me. It was my sister.

"Lorraine," I breathed.

It was true that Lorraine and I never got along great when we were growing up. I was a tomboy, wanting nothing to do with makeup or dresses, while Lorraine played with barbies and detested sports. We were different people, and fought, but we still cared about each other deep down.

I had to say that I was relieved that it was Lorraine coming in to talk to me, since I would need her help. She was the hair and makeup expert of the family, and trust me. I need a beauty expert right about now. I was a mess.

"That was really brave of you Sarah," she started. "You know, what you said to Mike back there?"

I gulped.

"Lorraine, what's wrong with him?" I asked after moments of silence. Maybe someone could finally answer my long awaited question. No one else seemed to want to today.

Lorraine bit her lips together before she replied.

"Well, you know, you haven't seen him in 3 years. He grew up Sarah."

Without even thinking about it, I knew that Lorraine was lying. Number one, Lorraine was a terrible liar. It was a well known fact by our entire family. And number two. I knew that Mike just didn't grow up. If anything, he had grown down…if that is even possible. All I know is that over the past 3 years, something drastic had happened in Mike's life to cause him to be like this. This wasn't the Mike I knew and remembered. Something changed. Something big. And I wasn't there to see it happen.

"Lorraine, I know that Mike didn't just grow up," I whispered. "There's something else….something I missed."

Lorraine sighed.

"Sarah, can we go over this later?" she asked. "After the funeral?"

"Lorraine, I've gotten that from everyone!" I shouted. "I want to know what is wrong with my brother, and I want to know now!"

My sister's eyes filled up with tears as she spoke.

"If you're sure…because-"

"Lorraine, I don't care!" I interrupted. "I just want to know," I added more softly.

Lorraine sat down on one of the chairs in the restroom, and put her leather purse on her lap.

"Sarah, I watched you and Mike grow up. There were a lot of things that me and your older brothers noticed that no one else did, and these were things that eventually everyone figured out once you left," Lorraine sighed.

I raised my eyebrow in confusion. What was Lorraine trying to say? Her explanation wasn't better then anyone else's! It was just confusing…I ran over her sentences again, trying to decode every phrase.

"So what are some of these…things….that you noticed?" I finally asked.

Lorraine forced a smile.

"We noticed that Kim and Jessica would be the type of twins who would always get along and be close friends," she started. "We also knew that Mark would always be more comfortable and happy when he was around animals and nature rather then humans," she added. "And we knew that you, Mike, and Jake were really close," she said, her voice cracking at the end.

"Well, who _didn't_ know that?" I joked. "We were inseparable as kids," I added. I felt tears roll down my cheeks, just thinking about my childhood. We were really close. A bunch of memories flooded into my brain.

Jake and I were 4 and 5 years older then Mike. He was just born when we started school, and started learning about sports. Mike always wanted in on the fun as a toddler when we got home from school and were outside playing. Jake and I taught him how to play soccer while he was in diapers. We spent more time with him when he was a toddler then anyone else, even mom and dad. Thus, our bond was born.

I remembered the time Mark got lost. The three of us looked for him together. On our skateboards, we looked all around the new neighbourhood we lived in. We barely knew the area, so we got a little lost ourselves. We eventually found dad in the car, and he drove us back home.

I remembered the last time we went up to Lake Winnetka. Mike was 8, Jake was 12, and I was 13. We met Elliot Murtaugh that summer, and the four of us got along great. We spent the days knee boarding and tubing in the lake, and the nights playing video games in Elliot's basement. It was probably the best summer ever, just because of our tight friendship and the awesome times we had, creating all those fond memories.

That was the same summer that I had my first boyfriend, Elliot. The relationship didn't work out, and it turned out that we were better off just being friends. But dating Elliot introduced me to a whole new world. When I went back to school that year, clothes shopping and cheerleading took over my life, leaving my close friendship with my brothers behind me. They tried getting me to hang out with them more, but they failed. I was too busy with my latest boyfriend to care. Jake eventually gave up, but Mike kept trying.

I remember a couple summers later when it was the first time I went to a high school party. I was 16 years old, and I was surprised I was even invited since I wasn't that popular. It wasn't that I was unpopular, I was just in the middle. But apparently being a cheerleader got you exclusive invites to all the parties. That was the first night I got drunk. I drunk my way through the rest of my high school years. I'm surprised I even graduated to be honest.

Lorraine finally turned to face me. Her face was strained with pain.

"You did know that your friendship meant everything to them?" she asked. "Your friendship with Mike and Jake was a strong bond Sarah," she told me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "We were just siblings who got along really well!" I laughed.

Lorraine stood up, picking up her purse, and walked closer to me.

"Did you notice any weird things happening when you started high school? Weird things happening?" she repeated in a clear voice. "To Mike and Jake?" she asked.

I thought back to when I was 14 and 15. I didn't really spend much time with Jake and Mike then, so I didn't really know. I was too busy with my own social life to care. Thus I remained silent.

"I didn't think so," Lorraine sighed. "You were too busy doing your own thing," she grumbled. "You turned into Princess Sarah!" she shouted.

"What do you mean by 'Princess Sarah' exactly?" I asked.

Lorraine sighed.

"Did you even know that Jake was failing school?" she asked. "He never did his projects, or homework. Jake was 14, and was getting through school with a 57 average!"

I shrugged.

"Jake was never the scholarly type," I whispered.

"Well, Mike had the same problem," Lorraine added, her voice becoming more serious. "Except worse," she added.

I gulped.

"How was it worse?" I asked.

Tears formed in my eyes.

_Was it my fault Mike was like this?_

"Mike was 10 years old," Lorraine started. "He was doing a little better then Jake in school, but not much," she explained. "While Jake had moved on and had new friends, Mike hadn't. After you left, Mike focussed on school and his grades. That's it," she explained.

Tears rolled down my face, thinking of how I had ignored Mike all those years. It was definitely my fault.

"So Mike was 10 years old, in grade 5, and he was depressed," Lorraine concluded.

My mouth flew open, shocked. It was my fault. All. My. Fault. I began crying harder now.

"Sarah. You do know that Mike looked up to you? As a rolemodel?"

I gulped.

"H….he did?" I stammered.

Lorraine slowly nodded. She was now crying herself. She walked over and hugged me.

"He wanted to do everything you did. So he followed suit. He isolated himself from everyone….just like you did," Lorraine sobbed.

I cried into my sister's arms, trying to come up with something to say, but I couldn't. No words would come out of my mouth.

Lorraine finally broke away from our hug. I wiped her tears away before she spoke.

"You do know that there is good news to this Sarah?" she asked.

I looked up, signaling for her to speak again.

"You got better…not that Mike knows that," Lorraine told me. "But that means he should come around too," my sister concluded forcing a smile as she patted me on the shoulder.

"You think so?" I managed to ask through my tears.

Lorraine nodded.

"Sarah, you should go talk to him," she told me.

I sighed.

"You think I'll get across to him?"

Lorraine hugged me again, squeezing me harder.

"Mike looks up to you. Mom….and dad tried to get him to come around, but it's you Sarah!" Lorraine shouted. "We all knew after you left that it was you. You raised him! You're more then just his sister Sarah!" Lorraine smiled. "You can change him."

I forced a smile as Lorraine told me all this. Now that the truth was out, I would do anything to help Mike. I had to.

"But first we're going to clean you up," Lorraine smiled, pulling a whole bunch of beauty supplies out of her purse. Lipstick, eyeshadow, hair products, the whole deal.

There's my beauty expert, just when I need her.

* * *

Whew….longest chapter yet I think? I was going to split it in two originally, but I put them together. Hope you guys like it! I also finally brought out the truth about Mike. I gave little clues throughout the other chapters, but here's the whole story!

Review and tell me what you think of all of it!

~Lauren


	7. Stolen

Hehe. I know, my updates keep getting longer and longer, don't they? I hate to admit it….but I am probably busier in the summer then I am during the school year. I worked at camp during the day for volunteer hours, and by the time I got home, I was exhausted. But I'm off this week, so I had time to write up Chapter 7 for y'all!

Now, we're gonna explore a whole new point of view….the last chapter kinda gives away who it is…but I bet you guys will like it!

Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed! It means so much to me, you guys don't understand! :D

Now on with the chapter! Haha!

* * *

The moment mom told us to go up and say something about dad, I wanted to kill myself. Besides the fact that I never said nice things, dad and I didn't get along. The last time we spoke, we got into an argument. He always got mad at me for everything for as long as I could remember. Dad was always more concerned with my older siblings for some reason, and seemed to only care for them. The younger ones, like me, always seemed to get ignored. Or yelled at. Because the younger ones always come last. So why did I have to go up and say nice things about him?

Sure, my dad meant well….I guess. I still didn't want to go back in there. What was the point in going back in? Dad was dead. He wouldn't care anyways!

I took a puff from my cigarette as I sat down on a rock. I was definitely not going back in there. I was done trying to impress my family. Even when I tried, I still didn't get attention from them. Even if I got good grades and got into Harvard, there was always something more important for them to worry about. Mark's degree in biology, Charlie and Ann's first kid, or even Sarah. Sarah seemed to get a lot of attention, even though she took off years ago.

Then it hit me. I knew exactly what to do!

I put my cigarette out on the rock, then walked around the parking lot. I saw Sarah's rental car sitting closer to the funeral home. With the keys inside. Perfect! I thought.

Maybe the attention would finally drift to me for once, I thought as I drove off.

* * *

"Jake, have you seen Mike?" Sarah asked, running out of the bathroom. She looked a lot more put together then she had a few hours ago. Her hair and makeup looked wonderful!

"Not recently," I answered. It was best not to tell her about the incident with Mike earlier.

Sarah sighed, and sat down on one of the rows of benches at the back of the room, where barely anyone was.

"Why do you need to see Mike?" I asked quietly, sitting down next to her.

My sister shuffled around nervously.

"No reason…." She started. "He just hasn't come back inside yet, has he?"

I gulped. It felt so weird talking to Sarah now. Like I barely knew her.

"Come back from outside? When he took off earlier?" I asked.

Sarah nodded.

Silence then grew between us. We never used to be like this! We could never run out of things to say to each other! What had happened to that? We were so close!

Suddenly, we saw people around the funeral home begin to take their seats. I guess the funeral was about to begin.

"Sarah, come on," I said. "The funeral is probably gonna start soon."

Sarah looked at me, tears welling up in her eyes.

"But what about Mike?" she asked.

I bit my lips together and felt my hands start to sweat. Mike wouldn't miss dad's funeral, would he? I knew Mike was…a little weird, but he should at least come to his senses and care for dad! But I still didn't think he would show up. He had always been the type of person to always want his way, and be selfish in a manner. Mike would always leave a party early if he wasn't having fun, or would say things without thinking. He wasn't always like that, he just gradually became like that over his teenage years. manner

"Sarah, Mike will show up if he wants to," I answered. I wasn't going to upset her with Mike. I would tell her later when we had more time.

"_Is _he going to show up Jake?" she asked, the tone of her voice indicating that she wanted an answer.

I sighed.

"I honestly do not know Sarah," I answered. "I hope he does though…we all do," I told her.

Sarah closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm going to get him!" She declared after a few moments.

Sarah got up and ran outside before I could stop her. I got up and followed her out. I shivered as I got outside. It was a cold, rainy September day. Perfect day for a funeral.

I spotted Sarah immediately, walking quickly around the parking lot. She then stopped abruptly, and turned around, a blank expression on her face.

"Sarah!" I yelled.

No response. She just stood there, her mouth agape. I ran over to her.

"Sarah, what's wrong?" I repeated.

My sister slowly turned to face me, her face still looking shocked and surprised.

"My car's gone," Sarah told me quietly, no emotion in her voice.

"But I thought you and Mike flew down!" I argued.

Sarah shook her head sadly.

"Rental car," she breathed. "It's stolen."

"Shit," I mumbled.

Silence took us over again. For a couple minutes, neither of us spoke. Silence was becoming a ritual between us now. I was getting used to it.

Sarah broke the silence by turning around, and walking away quickly.

"Where you going?" I shouted.

Sarah turned around again. We were close enough for me to see that she was crying again. I instantly felt bad for her. She must be going through a lot in her own life, let alone having to come here to face everyone.

"I'm going in," she told me as she continued walking, her now damp hair blowing around in the wind.

I sighed and followed her inside. I shuffled to the front of the room and sat down in an aisle seat beside Charlie, who had his youngest daughter, Jenna, on his lap. He turned and forced a small smile at me. I tried smiling back, but it was hard. This was such a sad day.

I sat up straighter as mom approached the microphone on the stage.

The funeral was about to start.

* * *

Hope it wasn't too short! I actually rewrote this chapter since I didn't like the first one I did…so sorry for the long update! I'm away next week…but I'll try to update the week after that! :D

Thanks for reading guys! Reviews are highly appreciated! ^_^

~Lauren


	8. Because You Never Know

Sorry for the long update you guys….I had a super busy summer! I barely had any down time, but now, a week before school, I do! So I thought I would write you all up a nice little chapter for you all to enjoy. (:

I dunno when I'll be able to update next…just warning y'all.

Kaaaay. Onto the chapter. Hehe.

* * *

I walked back into the funeral home crying a bit still. I couldn't believe it. My rental car was gone. What was I supposed to tell the company? I sighed. I was almost positive that I would have to pay for it. Which really sucked. Because I really had no money to spare right now. And I certainly didn't want to be in debt with the bank. I already had enough problems as it is.

There was an empty spot on one of the benches near the end of the first row. I recognized my uncle, Ian, sitting on one side of the empty spot. On the other side though sat a tall young man who I did not recognize. It was one of the only available seats left, so I started walking over to sit down. The funeral home was really busy, so it was a little tricky getting there. I guess a lot of people knew and cared for my dad. Not that that was a bad thing….the funeral home was just really crowded and full of people. People I likely knew and hadn't seen in a long time.

I sighed. I still couldn't believe that I was here. I hadn't been around so many people I knew since Mark's graduation party, aka the night I disappeared.

I shook away all negative thought of that night as I entered the aisle. I made a mental note to myself to remember to apologize to Mark later, after the funeral. Not that I deserved to be forgiven after I had broken his $1,000 laptop, and had ruined his graduation party. Whenever he thought of it, awful memories of me probably came to mind unfortunately.

While sitting down, I felt tears start to roll down my cheeks. A whole fresh bunch of waterworks were on the way, I could feel it. This would be a great way to embarrass myself, crying so much. Anyone who knew me well knew that I rarely cried.

Just then, the man sitting next to me turned to look at me for a second. He squinted, then widened his eyes and mouth simultaneously.

"S….Sarah Baker?" he asked, stuttering at first.

I gulped. _Did I know him? _I stared at him, searching his face for signs of recognition. I looked harder, but found none. He was pretty attractive though!

"Yeah?" I responded nervously. Maybe it wasn't the greatest idea ever to kind of give my name out to a complete stranger, but hey…what have I got to lose? My life was already messed up enough already. What else could _possibly _go wrong?

My stranger friend sitting next to me laughed in response, showing a mouthful of nice, perfect, white teeth. I know that smile all right! I knew exactly who this was!

"How the hell have you been?" he asked. "I haven't seen you in what? 10 years?"

I smiled.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Elliot?" I answered, a smile still on my face. It was nice to finally talk to someone who didn't know of what had happened to me. Someone who only knew me for the old me, the person I was trying to become again. But I still had a while to go.

Elliot leaned over and gave me a short hug, then pulled away. It felt weird hugging him again, because our relationship never really got anywhere. We went on the one date, and never really talked to each other since. And that was the last time we ever went up to the lake.

"I'm really sorry about your dad Sarah," Elliot told me quietly, reminding me why I was even here.

I shut my eyes to try and prevent the tears from dripping out, but it didn't work. It was too late. I felt them fall on my legs.

Moments later, I felt Elliot's arms around me again, his strong hands gently rubbing my back. I leaned my head into his warm body and let the tears keep going and going.

* * *

"Dad was a great guy….and we're all going to miss him. A lot."

Henry finished up his speech, and then slowly walked off the stage. His hand went up to wipe some tears away from his eyes, then he took his seat.

I sighed. I knew what this meant. Henry was done, so it meant it was my turn to go up and say something about dad. And I had absolutely no idea whatsoever about what I was going to say.

After a few moments of putting my thoughts together, I let go of Elliot's hand that I had been holding onto for the most part of the funeral and flashed him a small smile he quickly returned as I walked into the aisle. Maybe after 10 years there might still be a little chemistry between us, I thought.

But I had to put thoughts of Elliot aside as I walked on stage. I would deal with my love life later. Now it was time to focus on dad, and everyone else in my family.

I pushed the microphone down a few inches before I started speaking since it was set a lot higher up for Henry, due to his height. I silently cleared my throat, and began to speak. I sure hope this went alright, I sighed.

"Living our lives, we usually have regrets on some things we missed out on. I regret a _bunch_ of stuff I've done over the past few years, but the biggest regret I have and probably ever will is not getting to say goodbye to my dad," I started, as I felt some tears well up in my eyes.

I saw Nora glaring at me from the end of the first row, her husband Bud and 10 year old son Tom beside her. Looks like she was one of the people still really mad at me. I looked in the other direction and found myself looking straight at Kim. My sister flashed me a smile, and I forced in one too, hoping she'd realize that I was no longer mad or upset with her about what she said before.

"The last time my dad and I talked was 3 years ago," I said quietly into the microphone. "And our last conversation wasn't a happy one either," I added, watching my mom's hurt face staring at me from the audience.

"My dad was definitely a nutcase at times, but he always meant well. He did his best caring for his entire family, and even though he got on our nerves 90% of the time, we all knew that he loved and cared for each of us so much," I continued, forcing a smile as I spoke about my family.

I gulped as I got ready to finish up. Tears were now dripping down my face, and my makeup was probably ruined once again.

"My dad was a wonderful person," I began. "I can almost guarantee you that every day for the rest of my life, I will wake up, regretting that I didn't treat him well for the last few years of his life," I added.

"I learnt today that it's not right, or healthy to distance yourself from your family. Learn to appreciate to ones you love, because you never know what might happen to them," I concluded.

With that, I stepped down from the stage, tears now rolling down my face like I was a waterfall. I walked down the aisle to the back of the room where there was a large empty spot on a bench. I sat down, and put my head in my hands, and began crying the longest batch of tears of the day.

* * *

No, this is not turning into a Sarah/Elliot fic….I just put Elliot in there because I felt I had to have some Murtaugh in there…haha! That is probably his only appearance. But I'm not positive yet…

Anyways, tell me what you think! I _promise_, the next update will be a _lot _shorter of a wait. (:

Thanks for reading guys!

~Lauren! :D


	9. Leaving?

Yes, I know it's been almost 2 months since an update again….but I AM updating it. I hope you guys don't stop reading the story cause of this, because you all rock! (:

* * *

After I had finished my little speech about dad, Jake went up to do his, and was followed by Mark. Jessica went up, and then Kim did, but after that, Nigel went up, and everyone in the funeral home was turning around, or whispering to their neighbour, asking what was up. Everyone knew that Mike should have gone up after Kim, and when Kyle was finished his speech and the funeral continued, people knew something was up.

When the funeral was finally over, I got up to say my goodbyes to Elliot. As I stood up, he pulled me into a hug.

"Sarah, I'm so sorry!" Elliot gave his condolences again as he rubbed my back in comfort. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I looked him in the eyes and smiled.

"Thanks…and it was nice seeing you again Elliot...even under these circumstances and everything," I told Elliot as I pulled away from the hug.

Elliot smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Listen Sarah…I don't mean to throw this on you all of a sudden…but are you seeing someone now? Cause I dunno….I was kinda wondering if you wanted to maybe...uh…go out sometime?"

I gulped. I hadn't really been seeing anyone since high school. I had a bunch of one night stands while I was sick, but I'd rather forget about those. Elliot was my first crush and boyfriend if you want to call it that, because we only went out the one time, and hadn't really seen each other since that summer. But looking at him now, he was really attractive and was still really nice, which was what made me fall for him 10 years ago.

I smiled and looked at Elliot.

"I'll think about it," I answered, uncertain.

Elliot frowned.

"Sarah, if you don't want to, it's fine…."

I sighed.

"Elliot, just let me think about it, alright?" I laughed.

Elliot gave me a small smile.

"Alright, fair enough!" he replied laughing, giving in. "Hey, tell Mike I say hi?" Elliot added. "I didn't see him here today, and I haven't talked to him in years!"

I bit my lip to keep myself from ranting on about how Mike has changed over the years, and that he was no longer that innocent little kid Elliot remembered him as.

"I'll try…but I don't really talk to him much anymore," I answered.

"Is everything okay?" Elliot asked, concerned.

Even though I was sort of friends with Elliot again, I wasn't about to reveal what exactly has happened to me and Mike over the past few years. It was pretty personal stuff that I didn't feel like getting into detail about right now.

"Uh…yeah, just family problems," I answered quickly, not giving away too much information.

"Is it really bad?" Elliot asked. "Is it the whole family? Or just a few people? Did-"

"Why don't I explain everything to you over dinner sometime?" I interrupted, smiling.

Elliot's face immediately brightened, and a huge smile immediately appeared on his face. He then turned around, and I saw him nodding at someone.

"My brother's driving me home and he's leaving now, so I better go!" Elliot told me. He then grabbed a piece of paper from his pocket and scribbled down something. He then handed me the piece of paper, and wrapped me up in another hug, kissing me on the cheek before he pulled away.

"Call me!" Elliot shouted, as he walked away. He waved back at me as he walked outside, and with that, he was gone.

No more then a few seconds after Elliot left, I heard Jake calling my name. I looked around, and saw him a few rows back, motioning me over. I quickly speed walked over to see what he wanted.

Jake smiled at me as I got closer to him. I forced to smile back at him.

"Hey, how you doing?" my brother asked me.

I shrugged.

"I'm okay. What's going on?" I asked.

Jake looked around to see if there was anyone nearby before answering. He then turned his attention back to me.

"Do you know where Mike is?" Jake asked me, whispering.

"Why would you expect me to know!" I retorted, a little louder then I had originally intended since a few people around were looking at me mysteriously.

Jake ignored the people turning to look at us and lowered his voice before speaking.

"No one knows where he is," Jake explained. "We think that Mike uh…took off," he added.

I had a really bad feeling about this since I had a missing car now, along with a missing brother, who seems to hate my guts at the moment. I sighed. Was it Mike who had taken my car? Because I knew that he had no method of transportation of his own here.

"You mean, take off like I did?" I asked.

Jake shrugged.

"I guess," he answered. "But I about know as much as you do about what's going on."

I shook my head.

"Can we leave here please? This is all too much to take in for one day for me," I told Jake.

"Yeah, we should probably get out of here now anyways. I think this place is starting to clear out," Jake agreed. "Are you going back to the house?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"I honestly have no idea Jake. I have a plane leaving early tomorrow morning, and my rental car is gone, my little brother hates me, and I just-"

"Sarah, come on. I'll drive you back to the house, and we'll see what'll happen from there, alright?" Jake interrupted.

"But are you sure I can stay there?" I asked as we walked outside.

Jake's body froze as he opened his car door, shaking his head at me.

"Sarah, it's your family's house. Of course you're welcome there!" Jake laughed.

I slammed the passenger door shut.

"I've never lived there, or stayed there before, that's why I'm unsure of it!" I explained, getting frustrated.

"Sarah, chill. It's gonna be fine," Jake reassured me as he drove.

"You're sure Jake?" I asked.

"I'm positive Sarah!" Jake laughed.

I smiled. It wasn't that so much that I was worried about, it was more interacting with people that I was afraid and unsure about. But Jake didn't need to know that.

About 5 minutes later, we pulled into the driveway. I shook away this morning's bad memories of being here away as I followed Jake into the house.

"We're home!" Jake called. Silence answered us, so I guess we were the first people to arrive here.

I looked around the house, getting a better look at it. It was without a doubt a gorgeous house. It was brand new when my parents bought it, and all the furniture was brand new and high quality. Without having to spend so much money on us kids, it looked like my parents had finally had a chance to invest in a really nice home. They had managed to keep everything clean too, and all the fabrics and floors matched.

Just then, a piece of neon pink paper lying on the bottom of the staircase stuck out from the rest of the clean house.

"What's this?" I asked as I walked over to pick it up.

"What's what?" Jake asked coming from the kitchen, munching on an apple.

"Oh my gosh…." I read the note, then passed it onto Jake. My brother quickly read the note, then gasped. I started crying a bit as I reread the note.

_Yeah. I left before I even HAD to go to stupid dad's stupid funeral. I know you're not supposed to speak ill of the dead, but it's not like he ever gave a shit about me anyways. I'm leaving this house too, and I'm never coming back either. Don't try getting in touch with me down or anything, because I'll just ignore you. So just leave me alone and get the hell out of my life. All of you. _

_P.S. Nice car Sarah! You want it back? Too bad, cause you're never getting it back._

Jake gulped.

"Oh shit…" he mumbled.

* * *

And that marks the end of our story! Don't worry, I'm going to do a sequel! I'm not sure when it's coming out…but there will be one!

So review? Tell me what you thought of the story? Please? (:

Thank you all SOOOO much for reading and reviewing! :D

~Lauren!


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